The Roaring Queer Twenties

This event is currently sold out!

If you would like to be added to a waitlist for tickets, please email info@northjerseypride.org and specify the number of tickets you would like to purchase. 

Thank you!

It's time to put the Queer back in the Roaring Twenties!

As the new decade kicks off, we're reclaiming the '20s, a time when queer culture was just beginning to flourish—and yet LGBTQ rights were not yet on the horizon. We're celebrating a new era of LGTBQ equality as well as North Jersey Pride's 10-year anniversary, so join us for an evening of vintage magic to raise funds for LGBTQ youth programming! 

Full open bar all night long, elaborate cornucopia of hors d'oeuvres and carving stations and cuisine for every taste, miles of exclusive silent auction items, yours for the bidding! Live band AND talented DJ to keep you cutting that rug all night at the gorgeously appointed Maplewood Country Club!

So don your finest garb and your dancing-est shoes for a glamorous night of toasting, eating and dancing—all for a wonderful cause!

Tickets are 80% tax-deductible and proceeds will benefit North Jersey Pride's 2020 programming, including RAD Family, our social support network for families of transgender and gender-fluid youth, and all-new events for LGBTQ teens!

Special Group Rate: Get a 25% discount when you choose the "Group Rate" for 10+ tickets.

Can't make it, but want to support? You can make a donation here - thank you!

What's so great about the Twenties? 

So glad you asked! Did you know that more than 50 years before the heroic stand at Stonewall Inn, Harlem’s drag balls were part of a flourishing, highly visible LGBTQ nightlife and culture? At the height of Prohibition in the mid-20s, these drag balls attracted as many as 7,000 people of various races and social classes—gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight alike. So much of our culture today started 100 years ago in those clubs and speakeasies!

Unfortunately, that renaissance occurred during a time when simply being L,G, B, T or Q could land one in prison. So we are taking back the Twenties! All of the swank, plenty of booze, but none of the bigotry that marred that earlier golden age. This is OUR DECADE!

I noticed the ticket price is a little higher than the last winter ball—can I ask why?

Absolutely you can—and we have answers!

1) This event is a major upgrade for us—although not a sit down dinner (for space reasons), expect a serious smorgasbord in addition to open bar. (Think Porterhouse steak, beef short ribs, Peking duck, grilled salmon, shrimp scampi, stuffed mushrooms...and on and on. Let's just say you're getting a whole lot more for your ticket price!)  

2) Second, we are raising funds for a new program. NJP has received numerous requests from parents of LGBTQ teens asking where their children can meet other teens like them as social options are limited—we want to help! We're aiming to launch a program this year for multiple social outings for LGBTQ teens to meet and get to know one another. The greater their network, the less alone they will feel, and the less vulnerable to isolation and depression.

3) That will be in addition to our incredible RAD Family program for gender-fluid kids and their families, which has an annual budget funded by NJP.

Our staff is all-volunteer and we have no salaries or overhead, so every penny of proceeds will go directly to bottom-line expenses to run these programs. Oh—and have we mentioned this year is our 10th anniversary? That alone deserves an outsized celebration!  

Wait—this year will really be North Jersey Pride's 10th Pride Festival??

I know, right?? Time flies! We are planning our biggest celebration ever. If you'd like to join our Pride committee to help us plan the Best Pride Ever, drop us a line!

Ok, I'm sold! What should I wear?

We know, as an LGBTQ organization, that it’s best never to tell queer folk what to wear—and we have no desire to hamper your individual sartorial freedom of expression. But the event is kind of, well, fancy. So we encourage you to dress in whatever way makes you feel fancy, festive and gender-comfy. (And if that means coming in drag, by all means!) One note of caution: There will be lots of dancing so consider that when making your shoe selection.

North Jersey Pride is a family-friendly organization. Can I bring my kids? 

You know we love kids...but no. Unless your kids are over 21. Then it's up to you to decide whether you want them watching you on the dance floor.

I'm straight. Can I still attend?

Are you kidding?? We love, love, love our supportive allies! Not only can you attend, but we will roll out the red carpet for you. (Full disclosure: We will be rolling out a red carpet for everyone. But you can totally pretend it's just for you.)

Is there parking at the venue?

Yes, the Maplewood Country Club does have plenty of parking. It's also a short walk (and even shorter uber/lyft) from the train station. If you're planning to get your drink on, please rideshare!  

I live in the city. How big of a trek is this?

Great news! The Club is about 2/10 of a mile from the train station and you'll find trains every hour to/from New York Penn Station, a lovely 35-to-40-minute direct ride. Check NJ Transit for the schedule deets.

Attendees MUST be 21-and-over to enter and ID will be checked.

We can't wait to see you at the Ball!